


In Want Of A Ticking Heart

by XtaticPearl



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Stardust Fusion, Body Horror, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Identity Reveal, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Minor Character Death, Protective Steve Rogers, Sky Pirates, Steve Rogers Has Issues, Team Dynamics, Tony Stark Has Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-09-24 01:30:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17091539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XtaticPearl/pseuds/XtaticPearl
Summary: They dealt with lightning every day, trapping and taming the power of gods on a ship that flew with the gibbons. For all that was strange with their everyday life, the Captain of Avenger never really had understood the stars even as he had admired them between stretched fingers. Little did the regular old Steve Rogers predict though, that the stars were trying to understand him in return too, and from quite closer than expected.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DepressingGreenie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DepressingGreenie/gifts).



> Prompt: The Avengers are pirates. Steve is the Captain and Tony his first mate.
> 
> I added my own twist of some Stardust to this wonderful prompt, because why not reach for the stars?

The cabin tilted and he didn’t blink before holding on, the table’s edge digging into his palm and his eyes flicking to the door before back at his material that swayed dangerously in front of him. It would be easier if they would -

He lurched sideways again and bit back a curse even against the bubbling hysterical laugh against his teeth. This was on purpose he  _ knew _ it was. 

There was sounds of footsteps before the door was pulled open and he turned to see the green-tinged face of his fellow sufferer.

“Is it Barton?” he asked, a dark brow raised sardonically, wincing at the clang he heard from some corner of the cabin, “Please tell me it’s Barton. I  _ really _ want an excuse to screw his gear over right now.”

Bruce swallowed a grimace as the ship righted itself and climbed into the cabin with heavy steps running a hand over his head to tame ruffled curls. He had all the marks of a truly harassed crewmate of their hooligan crew and Tony grinned knowingly at the slowly easing pallor of his friend. It never failed to amuse him, the way Banner never truly found a way to get used to the life of their continued movement, always on the verge of showing his displeasure at being shaken so much quite literally. 

Though it would probably help if  _ some _ of the crew would stop playing fools with the steering once in a while. 

“I wouldn’t be opposed to screwing Clint over a bit,” the ex-physician remarked and took a relaxing breath before returning Tony’s smile with a wry one, “I would also not be opposed to the first mate telling Barton to - well, stop being his whole self for a day.”

“Tasha can do that better though,” Tony shrugged a shoulder and leaned forward to pick up the quiver he was refining, “Besides, Cap should be back today.”

There was a pointed silence and the younger man resoundingly avoided looking up to avoid Bruce’s knowing look that he had seen often enough to learn to ignore. It was an old game between them by now, the shared madmen of science competing over title of the most repressing when it came to vulnerable ideas. Most often than not, those always circled down to people ill-suited to risk heart over and Tony took strange pride in holding more record in it compared to his friend. Of all the things odd about him, such thoughts weren’t the oddest. 

“We aren’t far off from our destination now,” Bruce commented, thankfully letting awkwardness lie and moving around Tony’s space to pick up the designs he had been reading before he had gone up to talk to Scott. The designs for the modification of the  _ Avenger _ was coming along well but Tony wasn’t best at diplomacy when it came to dealing with the Triskelion and they really did need the promised panels if he were to turn his ideas to reality. He could get the parts easier at the back market of Legion but Steve always got this wary expression in his eyes when Tony spoke of dropping in there for a while. 

Some memories were buried under resolution but still - Tony turned the quiver over in his hand and eyed it critically, trying to put Steve’s thoughts at bay for the moment. 

“If Fury doesn’t make us stay for another talk on  _ safety _ and his usual spiel, we’d be out from Triskelion soon too,” Tony quipped, glancing at Bruce’s mild expression before placing the quiver down, “I still don’t get why Cap didn’t just take the sky-cycle. It is  _ so _ much faster -”

“Hey, Stark!” a familiar voice hollered and both men exchanged a look before Tony walked towards the door, boots clicking against the floor in even rhythm, stopping just before the door was yanked open. 

“Good Lord, Barton, did you take a swim in the clouds?” Tony made a face at the messy face that poked in before the blond man edged into the room, hip-checking Tony without hesitation, “Who’s got the wheel now?”

“Someone not you,” Clint said jauntily and grinned at the table when he caught sight of his gear, “Aw, I almost feel like not pushing you off the deck for foisting off your job now. You finally finished it!”

“Pushing me off, wow, you’re lucky I’m not like Fury’s first mate,” Tony huffed in mock outrage before batting away the other man’s hands when they tried to wipe dirt off on his coat, “You get clothes. Why is he - keep your paws to yourself, please, I can’t believe this needs to be said  _ every _ time.”

“As long as he is Barton,” Bruce quipped with a teasing grin when Clint shot him a betrayed look, “Honestly though, who has the wheel?”

“Parker,” Clint said nonchalantly as he perched himself on Tony’s table casually.

“Parker,” Tony echoed, stilling and pinning Clint with his eyes. The man shot Tony a smug grin in return.

“Yeah”

“ _ Peter _ Parker”

“We didn’t get a new child pirate during your sad hermit spell, yeah”

Bruce mouthed an  _ ouch _ but Tony opened his mouth, closed it and took a breath, suppressing the urge to bodily throw Clint off the ship for a moment before he spoke again.

“Fine, I’ll just go and make sure we all don’t get killed by an over-enthusiastic child with delirium,” he remarked with a shake of his head and turned to leave, ignoring Clint’s choked beginning of a laugh. If Peter didn’t die from one of his own self-designed ideas of probably propelling himself off the mast in his adrenaline, he would definitely die from Vision’s idea of snacking sometime soon. Tony was reasonably sure that even he couldn’t justify their pet spider-child-crewmember dying of ridiculous reasons to Steve when they landed at Triskelion. Besides, he did like the kid more than half of his insane crew. 

A good twenty minutes later, they finally clocked port at Triskelion and Tony could thankfully find no missing, dismembered, or dead crewmates to explain to their waiting Captain. Well, Tasha was still missing her funny bone but there wasn’t much to be done for that when she was mad at Tony. 

As he finally locked the ship into safety and turned to follow the crew into the premise, Tony caught sight of a figure strolling towards him. He resisted the fond eye-roll when he saw the primly pinned blue waist-coat and slowed his own pace, tilting his head in amused observation at the man.

“What, do I warrant a special welcome party?” he asked, tucking a hand into his pant pocket, “I mean, I understand that you must have tired of the dreadful company after such a long separation from good wit, but really, this is just special, even for me, Captain.”

“I wonder why we bother with clouds when we could float on your inflated self,” Steve commented dryly but Tony had long since learned to see the teasing behind those steel azure eyes and let his own lip curl a corner, “How’s my ship, Tony?”

“Ah, now I get it. I see how it is, my creation gets more attention than me,” Tony quipped and made a fake sad face, “That hurts me deeper than the idea of enduring your favourite chats with Fury, Cap, it hurts in my special place.”

“I can’t really say your head could get any worse, so it should be fine,” Steve sassed back and Tony rolled his eyes at the surreptitious check Steve’s eyes did of the ship before he found it roam over himself. And not in the way he  _ would _ have preferred but - well. 

“Who told you?” Tony asked, cutting to the chase and resumed walking. Steve fell into pace as usual and they brushed elbows occasionally, too much and not enough for Tony, just enough to keep him focussed on trivial things. 

“You presume that I didn’t expect it on my own,” Steve pointed out, an undercurrent of old worry and mullish temperament in his voice even as he pushed on, “How long did it take before you let Clint take over?”

“What makes you think it was Clint and not Natasha?” Tony asked, genuinely curious, and Steve snorted.

“Your hair still lays on your head and your head on your shoulders,” Steve said and Tony accepted that because that  _ was _ probably the ending he would get if he ever foisted his job onto their deadliest friend. He really loved an entertaining fatal stab waiting to happen but Natasha had grown to tolerate him well enough over the years so he was safe for a while. 

“Clint was getting bored. I simply helped,” Tony shrugged but Steve shot him a quick side-glance with masked worry before pulling on an exasperated mask. 

“And you used the time to rest yourself, I wager?” Steve asked with an innocence he never really possessed, making Tony realize this to be the trap it truly was.

“You’re not the best gambler I’ve met,” Tony had understood long ago that outpacing Steve was futile but this was an argument he didn’t really fancy. Again. 

“No, that would be you. Gambling with your life seems a little extreme even for you,” Steve commented and Tony  _ almost _ faltered over a step but covered it in time. Steve didn’t know how close he came to the truth and Tony would  _ die _ before he actually did. 

“I’m fine and you’re catching Fury’s taste for theatrics, Cap,” he replied, smoothly turning around the corridor that led to the main hall, Steve in step with him like a practiced march.

“Is that why your neck still holds the pattern I  _ know _ isn’t you trying on a tattoo?” Steve asked in a deceptively calm voice and Tony breathed out before turning towards his partner, finding grim bright eyes challenging his gaze. Steve had challenge seeped into his bones and a stubborn nerve hidden beneath his brain that Tony could never pick without resulting in fireworks that had somewhere shifted from abrasive to expected yet oddly warm. They were as different as shadow and light yet their dynamic had grown over time and effort, enough to make them the most successful pirate leaders of the region. 

Still, there were times when Tony wondered if his urge to strangle the beautiful man would somehow win over the concealed love he held for him. As did it happen for Steve, he knew without doubt. Not the love part, because there were dreams even someone as wildly imaginative as Tony could know to be beyond reality. Steve Rogers falling for Anthony Stark was high on that list of foolish fantasy. 

“Do we really want to walk into old Nicholas’ lair with this mood? I mean, I’m not averse to a good fight now and then, but aren’t you bored by now?” Tony asked and sighed when Steve’s face showed a storm for a moment, “I really am fine, it isn’t a worry, you need to find new people to worry over.”

“It could be poison from the darts that -”

“If it were poison then I’d be dying,” Tony cut Steve short and there were probably limits to how much he should be toeing the line of hidden truth and boisterous lies but he could ponder his own madness later, “I clearly am not.”

“Aren’t you?” Steve snapped and breathed out, swallowing back words that Tony knew he definitely deserved. He hadn’t been there when Steve had lost his best friend and first love in a battle with a nasty fleet of Hydra ships but he’d heard and gathered enough to know that Steve had seen death closer than most should. When Tony had first stumbled onto Steve’s gathered bunch of ragtag sky-pirates, he’d clashed horribly with the man and hit a lot of sore points inadvertently even as Steve managed to throw some of his own. It had been a long time ago and a ship change since then but Tony knew the significance of some truths. Steve absorbing death as his own personal responsibility or burden to bear was stamped in history and Tony was not daring to parse why he in particular riled the Captain up in that area for a while. It was also why Steve was to never know some truths, no matter how much he deserved to know them. 

“I don’t plan to die before Fury reveals who has his other eye and  _ that’s _ not happening soon, so,” Tony placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder and squeezed lightly, “You’re just going to have to live with the fact that a small strange rash isn’t going to get you away from my bothering for a while, Rogers.”

“They have physicians here,” Steve said but Tony could see him relaxing, a small smirk finding way onto his face and found himself patting the broad shoulder one more time before slinging his arm around the man. 

“As do they have some excellent alcohol, and I know my preference of the two already,” Tony quipped, dragging Steve with him and pretending like he didn’t see the way Steve’s hand rested on his back to steady him when he overshot a step, “You’d be surprised at how much better alcohol is when it’s sneaked away.”

“I’ve seen both you and Clint do it enough times to know that’s false,” Steve said but he was hiding a grin while saying it and Tony winked at him as they entered the council hall. Steve disentangled himself from Tony’s hold and moved forward, knowing that his first mate would find his way to their designated spots. 

Tony found familiar faces from Fury’s group and grinned in particular at his trusted ex-first mate but Phil simply rolled his eyes. Tony found his seat beside Steve and turned to chat with Bruce on his other side when he noticed a commotion signalling the arrival of someone. His questioning remark of the new entry died in his throat when he actually saw the half-dead looking man being dragged and half-carried to Fury’s presence.

“We found him at the gates, sir,” Hill announced, holding the man’s arm with little strain, “He said he needed to give you a message.”

“Who is it?” Fury asked, his single eye sharply darting over the collapsing man, “Someone get him aid, Sitwell! Stark, what are you doing?!”

Tony didn’t bother looking back though and stumbled forward till he could grab the man’s shoulders and quickly cupped his chin to tilt his face up. His fingers went to the neck to check pulse and he could hear Sitwell calling for physicians, Bruce finding his own personal kit, but none of it registered over the roar in his ears as Tony’s eyes catalogued the injuries dotting the man in front of him. 

He could feel Steve’s presence behind him but before Tony could find his voice, the man in front of him blinked his eyes open slowly, painfully, and caught Tony’s horrified look, recognition filtering in. 

“He knows,” the man rasped, voice dragging through his throat’s raw channel, “He - he’s coming.”

“Who?” Tony heard Steve ask over a settling fog in his mind.

“Steve, move,” Bruce’s voice came through firm but urgent and Tony could hear the man come to his side, “Here, slow, lay him down”

“He -”, the injured man coughed and Tony could see the blood dripping down the side of his mouth, “You must go, he’s coming.”

“Don’t speak, relax, we’ll talk once you’re safe,” Tony heard himself babbling, wanting to hurl when he recognised a familiar carving that showed through the tattered shirt of the man’s front, “Bruce, his chest, we need to stop the bleeding first.”

“Please”, the man said quietly, looking only at Tony even as hands removed his shirt quickly and Bruce let out a forced breath at the sight in front of him, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t. I couldn’t - sorry -”

“Shut up, come on," Tony worked to help Bruce because this was his fault, his goddamn fault that - 

"Sorry," the man whispered and blinked slowly, eyes losing focus, "Monger - sorry"

"No," Tony warned, hating himself more than he remembered in a while, "Don't you dare, come on, look at me, come on. Bruce, do something!"

Bruce's hands paused as the man's eyes closed but Tony couldn't stop muttering pleas and Bruce wiped at the freely oozing blood that was getting all over Tony's hands. 

When Steve's warm hand closed over his shoulder, Tony knew he was shaking, that he was creating a spectacle but he didn't care. He didn't let go of the hand he had caught of the man now motionless in his lap and knew that their positions should have been reversed. It should have ended with him, as it could have if not for this man. 

"Damn you, Yinsen," Tony muttered on a broken whisper and watched his old saviour's blood coat his hands with a permanent stain. 


	2. Chapter 2

Objectively, it had taken longer than anticipated for Tony to find himself in a cell. He suspected most of the delay was Steve calmly drawing a sword against Fury’s orders and his crew being capable of handling a war for as little time as it would take them to escape the premises. It could have gone that way and they could have been at sky by now but Tony had known what it would cost them. Challenging Fury was one thing and he could get behind it completely but taking the brunt of the entire Triskelion was not going to end well for Tony’s friends.

He had enough blood on his hands to want none more.

The sheer anger, hurt, and fear in Steve’s eyes when Tony had accepted confinement was hard to forget but Tony had more pressing thoughts that managed to worm their way into forefront. Getting alone time in a dark cell wasn’t his choice for introspecting and planning but it wasn’t the worst either.

He knew that he didn’t have much time before Steve and the crew would either argue or barter his freedom with assurance of him not being a risk to anyone’s security. He also knew that they would be lying. Tony was a threat, one beyond their comprehension, and if Yinsen were to be believed he was going to be dragging in a war larger than they were prepared to handle.

The thought of Yinsen brought in sharp tendrils of pain and Tony pressed his cuffed hands to his chest, rubbing at the hidden secret beneath his shirt. It was an old wound, a reminder of what being trusting and vulnerable had brought him, but it hadn’t left him dead. Yinsen, the kind stranger who had saved Tony all those years ago, didn’t have such good a fate.

Tony imagined Bruce in Yinsen’s place, brown eyes vacant under the sky filled with Tony’s destiny. Clint’s face lax with frozen humour, a last joke before he would be taken by Tony’s cursed fate. Natasha’s fingers locked around her weapon, felled by an enemy she hadn’t trained to win against. Peter’s hair falling on his young face as he took what should be Tony’s hit.

Steve’s listless eyes, Steve’s shirt bled red, Steve’s body under Tony’s useless hands.

The urge to throw up overwhelmed him and he allowed himself a moment to collect his presence. He couldn’t succumb now. Not when they were in danger. Not when _he_ was the danger.

“Right. Plan, I need a plan,” he muttered to himself and looked around the cell, categorizing the room for strong and weak points. It was a usual cell, nothing much different from ones Tony had seen before in passing but he needed closer insight and got off the stone bench to scan the place better.

“If I was a paranoid ex-pirate building a prison, what would I - aha,” Tony found his vantage point beside the sole window of the cell, “Well, I’ve had worse ideas.”

He hadn’t on this level of madness but the thought of everything to come was driving him crazy enough to try it.

His hands shook as he untied his shirt as swift as he could and his throat clogged when he moved to peel back the ‘skin’ he had crafted to hide the reality. His chest was adorned by scars of varying degrees but his eyes skittered over the blue glass that glinted in the centre, right above his heart.

For a moment he was back in the old mansion, a young fool lying paralysed and prone for betraying fingers to rip out his heart. _Pain, blade, fear, fear, fear -_

Tony blinked rapidly and took a shuddering breath before finding his ground back in the present. There would be time to fall apart later, he decided.

The glass covering came away with a deft twist to the small latch and a dull flicker of glow hinted of reveal. It had taken him constant practice to bring the glow down to manageable proportions and over time it had become easy. It never got easy for his heart or peace of mind but they were easily convinced when Tony knew his priorities.

A star was never made to be dull but a broken heart could bring it down to that stage. Tony had broken his own heart quite a while ago and mending it was only possible if he ever let himself forget it. He had held his shine in moments when he had first settled in with his crew but had quickly learnt to remind himself of all the miseries he would bring them if they were to ever know him in entirety.

Falling in love with his Captain had threatened to expose his true nature, a warm glow burning low in his chest but if Tony had taught himself anything from his first dalliance with human love, it was to be cruel to his hopes if those he loved were to have any dreams of a future. So he had done so, taking a knife of thoughts to his hopes everyday, constantly reminding self of what he could deserve.

It wasn’t Steve and wasn’t permanence with the _Avenger_.

His natural shine though was independent from the heat and force he could emanate in bursts, and that was all he needed for now. Keeping his eyes peeled and focussed on his target, Tony gathered all his energy before letting it out through his chest, a beam of blue and white engulfing the cell as it hit the wall he faced. There was a moment of remembered pain before he heard a welcome sound of explosion and then the wall crumbled down to a hole. Tony grit his teeth to stop the beam and quickly shut the glass case back over the ticking device that had once been used to save his dying heart.

The sounds of commotion were feeble but Tony knew his window of escape was limited. Fury’s men weren’t roaming the clouds of lightning capture anymore but they were as vicious as those who set out on those missions. For all that his crew would delay them if they were to attack, Tony was also certain that some of them would also rush to see what had happened themselves. He had to leave.

Climbing out the created hole was easy but climbing down the tower’s wall wasn’t his best skill. He managed somehow, and soon he was running towards the dock where he knew he would find sky-cycles parked independent of ship hoards. He heard the sounds of people yelling out his name and rushed to find a cycle that would be quick to steal. He picked one with a red bandana tied to the dusty subtly golden handles and kickstarted its engine with a few dirty tricks.

“Okay, now what?” Tony asked himself as he sped the stolen cycle up back to the sky and didn’t pause to check behind him, “What’s next, good God, Steve’s going to kill me himself, this was such a bad idea.”

He was good at bad ideas though and that was a terrible solace but the only one he could give himself at the moment. He weaved in and out of routes he knew like the back of his hand till he was sure he could detect the presence of a ship closing in on the half-broken and definitely amateur detecting screen of the cycle. It wouldn't take long before they caught up to him and Tony needed to get off their trail if he had any chance of escaping. He eyed the ground beneath and winced, but pushed the cycle down at breakneck speed.

The crash-landing smashed the cycle and he felt himself thrown off a few feet before hitting ground. His right arm stung against the rough surface, his knee definitely bruised, and Tony swallowed a curse before letting a hiss of air through his teeth when he caught sight of his left foot.

That would hurt like a hammer later, he knew as he gingerly pushed himself up to his feet, breathing out through his nose at the sharp pain when his weight fell on his injured leg.

“Alright, moving on,” he muttered, as he eyed the crashed cycle and looked around. There was a clearing edging into the woods and he could try to find his next destination from there. He picked up the bandana from the cycle as a last-second decision and tied half of it around his leg while wrapping the remaining bit around his face. His hair was already wrapped by a hasty kerchief that he used when he couldn't be bothered to trim his curls enough that they wouldn't bother his eyes when he worked. The stolen bandana rested under his eyes, covering his beard and face enough to keep him safe for first glance.

Tony walked and limped his way into the woods, using his basic navigation skills to mark his path. He didn’t have a compass or a watch on him but when his stomach began grumbling and his legs threatened to give out, he figured that he probably needed to rest. A damp tree stump became his seat as Tony finally let himself have a moment to collect his thoughts.

If Yinsen was an indication, it was clear that the hunt for the fallen star had resumed among the cult he had escaped all those years ago. There was a reason Tony had chosen to ally himself with lightning pirates and it mostly involved a guarantee that they scarcely touched ground. The skies were safe and a quickly created false identity had helped him find entry into the still fledgling group. It had been Fury back then, who had grudgingly approved his place among the pirates he was allowing into the council’s list. Renovating and reinventing the _Avenger_ from the sham of a ship she had been when Steve had taken charge had made Tony useful to the crew. There were always theories of him having had a past with science but he had never revealed his knowledge having been gathered from years of observance that only a celestial could claim.

He glanced down at his chest and sighed at the lines of navy ink that were clear around the device. It hadn’t been a delicate job to stick a glass and metal controller into his chest to hold the heart that he had almost lost, and the hatched nature showed in the scarring that surrounded the core. The false skin wouldn’t stick all that well now but he pressed it back on anyway, tying his shirt snug around him. He’d have to make do until he could find a better way to hide, and Tony turned his attention to his leg when he heard a neighing followed by sounds of carriage wheels rolling on the ground. Alert and gingerly getting to his feet, he pressed himself to the closest tree and waited till the sound got nearer.

“The worst luck, I _knew_ it,” a male voice came from a short distance, clear and frustrated, “Take the shortcut right through the cursed lanes, of course _that’s_ a good plan. ‘Will you be home by midnight, of course Ma, why not’. This is why not, fuck me, useless luck, useless carriage, I might actually kill - who’s there?”

The last address was sharp and Tony shut his eyes for a second, hating himself for moving.

“Reveal yourself,” the voice commanded, a note of imbued authority in it, and Tony had seen enough men of authority to know the difference between bluster and real threat.

The man wasn’t lying of his confidence.

Forcing himself into a resemblance of calm and casual air, Tony pushed himself off the tree, turning around and walking into the open where he could reveal himself.

The man was young enough to be a soldier and old enough to be wiser, dark eyes trained with sharp intelligence on Tony. One hand, Tony noted, was resting lightly near a sheathed sword, and the other was relaxed against the man’s side. The greyish-silver coat did no favours to fashion but it fit against his form well and the crisp white shirt underneath held well against the dark skin to form a striking but formidable image. He looked in control, alert, and his focus was on Tony.

“Bad day, huh?” Tony asked, pulling practiced charm over his face, “I was just resting on the way back home too.”

“While hiding behind a tree?” the man asked, eyes flitting over Tony quickly, noting the bandana before meeting his eyes again, “With a masked face. Of course.”

“I have a nasty cough and the dust does no help,” Tony replied before looking beyond the man’s shoulder, “You need some help with your carriage?”

“Not from someone I cannot know,” the man replied, purposefully moving his hand away from his sword, “Who are you?”

“A lot of things to a lot of people. Which part would you like to know?” Tony was not the best at diplomacy but he had flirting bred into his bones.

“The part you would like to remain on your neck, I’d say,” the man quipped, definitely unimpressed with the charm, “How about you remove that cloth and we figure out if we might part as whole or your journey must end in half?”

“It’s not the wildest proposition made,” Tony commented and the man eyed him dryly but there was hidden amusement in his eyes, “I’d say you’re already seeing my best feature so far.”

“Then it’s quite disappointing in its reality. Mask off, please,” the man repeated and Tony shrugged before slowly reaching behind his head to untie the cloth over his face.

“Impressed yet?” Tony raised a brow but the man ignored his smirk even as he relaxed a bit.

“No more than I am by the tree behind you,” he replied and Tony was starting to like this sarcastic bastard, “You look hurt. What are you doing here?”

“You’re awfully curious for someone unimpressed by me, aren’t you?” Tony asked as he tied the bandana around his neck for safekeeping, eyeing the man once more, “Considering how you have a sword and I have nothing but a broken leg.”

“I was offering to help but sure, suit yourself,” the man raised a brow and Tony didn’t let himself jump onto the offer.

“Considering your blue streak of grumble, I’d think you were the one in need of more help,” he pointed out and calculated the risk before chancing a try, “I’m Anthony, Anthony Edward. Sorry for creeping you out but I really was just resting till I could continue my journey.”

The man eyed Tony for a second before nodding, relaxing his shoulders and gesturing at his leg.

“That bandana looks shabby. I might have some bandages in the carriage,” he offered and Tony must have looked surprised because the man quirked a small smile, “I’m James. Colonel James Rhodes.”

“Ah,” Tony gathered and looked at the sheathed sword again, “That would explain the suspicion. Not a Commodore?”

“The sea isn’t my calling,” Rhodes remarked dryly, like he had done it before, and Tony grinned with a nod, “Come on, let’s get some bandages.”

“You always help strangers for no reason?” Tony asked and the man shot him an amused look as he walked beside Tony to his carriage that was missing a wheel now, leaning against a rock.

“You can repay me by helping with the carriage, don’t worry,” Rhodes quipped and Tony laughed at the casual audacity, limping himself to the carriage.

Rhodes was deft and sure in wrapping Tony’s foot up, glancing up at him only once with evident questions on his face but he seemed to be a man who understood silence better than most. When he was done, Rhodes wiped his hands and reached into his bag to pick out an apple that he casually tossed at Tony before getting one for himself, no orders or questions asked. Tony considered the fruit for a moment before biting in, chewing it in silence and feeling fresher as he recognized that he had been hungry for a while, the juice of the apple soothing him.

Once he was done, Tony threw the core away and wiped his hand on his pants. Rhodes was still munching on his own fruit and watched Tony from where he was leaning against a wheel.

“So,” Tony clapped his hands once, meeting Rhodes’ eyes head-on, “Where do we start with the cart?”

He could feel Rhodes’ surprise when he worked but Tony let himself focus on fixing the wheel, finding quiet purpose between metal files and spokes as he worked. It was familiar ground, fixing broken machines and handling metal. It was easier than worrying about intangible things and Tony was glad that Rhodes worked around him, finding his pace to help rather than hinder.

“You’ve done this before,” Rhodes commented once and Tony hummed distractedly.

“I’ve built things,” he said vaguely and thankfully the colonel let it lie, continuing to work rather than prod. Somewhere down the process, Tony heard the man walk away towards the horse who was getting antsy a little, and ignored the murmured conversation between man and animal.

“That should work for now,” he said once he was done and stood, rotating his neck to work out some kinks, looking over at Rhodes, “How’s she doing?”

“She’s fine too,” Rhodes answered, a hand gently running down the flank of his grey mare, “This is Patriot, by the way.”

Tony raised his brows and shot Rhodes a judgemental stare but the man shrugged. The mare whinnied lightly and Tony walked towards her, looking between her master and the horse before slowly reaching out a hand.

“Interesting name choice,” he commented but chuckled when the mare sniffed his palm curiously before deciding that he was worth nuzzling into, “She’s friendly.”

“She’s looking for the apple,” Rhodes quipped but he was looking amused too and Tony enjoyed petting Patriot, “Where are you headed now?”

Tony shrugged and avoided looking at the man, rubbing his hands over the playful mare.

“Wherever the journey takes me, I suppose,” Tony said, glancing at Rhodes before looking away again, “I’m not sure a destination awaits.”

“That sounds like you’re on the run,” Rhodes pointed out and Tony shot him a sharp smile.

“That sounds like a warning”

“I’m off-duty,” Rhodes replied casually and Tony looked at him in wary surprise but the man quirked a wry smile, “What? Everyone deserves an adventure and a good day. Besides, the bad criminals don’t stop for a wheel repair.”

“There are types of criminals?”

“There are always different types of everyone,” Rhodes declared and clapped a hand on Patriot’s side before moving to pull her to the cart, “C’mon, it’s late and I’m sure my Ma will have a worse punishment than the army if I miss dinner. She runs an inn, you can find a place to stay the night and decide your next stop in the morning.”

“You’re terribly trusting for a smart man,” Tony commented but moved alongside Rhodes to get the cart ready. 

“I like an adventure now and then too,” Rhodes replied cheerfully and Tony shook his head but was thankful for the temporary safety. He had a night to plan the next step. 

Tomorrow could be dealt with more thought than the present, he hoped. As long as his crew was safe from those who were probably looking for him in the skies. 


	3. Chapter 3

Steve had grown up with the scent of wood and grease, suffocating his lungs when he was younger but slowly becoming a clinging familiarity. His shoulders had filled to hold more weight upon them, his arms toughened to pull more miles ahead, and his eyes had sharpened over the years to see beyond the nearest fog. But his lungs still remembered that suffocation, cloying with blocked air that threatened to stop his breath.

Sitting in Fury’s cabin, across the quietly looming man himself, Steve felt the memory pushing to become a reality for a minute. He swallowed and pushed the feeling down. He couldn’t afford fear right now.

Anger he could afford plenty.

“You knew,” he observed, calm in tone even as he knew his ice looked frozen cold when they met Fury’s shuttered gaze.

“I make it a point to know my surroundings better than your usual leader,” Fury admitted, cool in his stance as he considered Steve from his spot against the stone shelf on his wall, “Besides, he wasn’t the first of the kind.”

“You’ve met a star before,” Bruce commented from behind Steve, tightly coiled tension disguised in soft tone, “Of course. I don’t suppose they’re around?”

“A star’s heart is valuable to those who recognize it,” Natasha chimed in from her spot near the window and Steve didn’t turn to look at her. It hurt to know that she had hidden information from him, her suspicions that were better than most men’s confirmation. A lot of the now revealed truths hurt and Steve couldn’t dwell on which hurt most.

He knew which though and barely kept his restraint from punching the table in front of him.

“Do you have to _eat_ it to become crazy new -” Clint waved his hands exaggeratedly, “-whatever they want to be? Or is there some less disgusting way?”

Fury shot him a dry look and Steve ignored Clint’s comment. He had a habit of speaking his most terrifying thought when he was truly upset and Steve had learnt to let it happen.

“What?” Clint asked on a huff, “It’s not the strangest thing you could think with all this information.”

“If he’s being hunted by a warlock or wizard, there’s not many places he could hide,” Samuel Wilson said from beside Steve, addressing the gathered team collectively. Sam was a trade sailor who had met people interested in celestial goods before, and he was the closest thing to an expert they had in the council gathered at Fury’s grounds when the commotion had happened. He had been surprisingly helpful to the group of pirates and Steve would take any help he could get at the rate things were progressing.

“He could if he’s on ground,” Scott countered, still nervous about the whole thing but adapting to it as required.

“It would work only if he had a way to cloak -,” Sam paused and Steve turned to see him look thoughtful before looking at Bruce, “You said he designed weapons and technology for the crew, right?”

“He had an eye and brain for it naturally, yes,” Bruce agreed, and Steve caught sight of a fleeting guilty expression before the man pulled on his poker face.

“That could explain how he would find a cloaking device for his pulse,” Sam commented, looking at Fury, “The other star you knew, how did you meet them? Stars don’t fall from their homes for no reason.”

“Would be better if they didn’t fall at all,” Fury snorted and Steve clenched his fist under the table but the older man continued, “Howard was at Vanko’s Market when I met him. I was the Captain of _Shieldeagle_ then and we had business in the market. The man was the most curious and loud person I had ever met, but he knew more about lightning energy than any pirate I’d known too.”

“So he got on your crew?” Bruce asked and Fury raised a brow.

“He wasn’t the travelling kind really, but he planned to stay back with Vanko,” the pirate chief said, an odd note of solemn nostalgia in his words, “The last day before we left, I saw him at his happiest over an invention he had designed for one of Vanko’s customers, a charming fellow who chatted smart with Howard. The glow was evident to anyone who saw, and Howard wasn’t used to controlling his emotions back then.”

“What do emotions have to do with it?” Scott asked and Fury’s eye met Steve’s.

“Everything,” he said pointedly before looking back at everyone else, “A star reveals their shine when their heart is happiest. It’s why they aren’t used to the human ways, because being happy is supposed to be their natural state. Anyway, Howard was showing too much and I warned him about it as best as I could before we left.”

There was a pause before Fury continued, eyeing Natasha for a second.

“A week later we got news of Vanko’s Market being razed down by a surprise attack,” Fury said to the silent group, “Everyone present was dead and accounted for except for one. Two weeks after that, they found a floating body tied to a plank down by the Reserve. I didn’t see it but the witnesses said that the person’s heart was cut out and all they saw was a gaping hole. The attack on Vanko’s place was old magic, one nobody had defense against.”

“All for the star,” Natasha said quietly and Fury inhaled deep before nodding curtly.

“When I first met Tony, he looked different in the way a wounded man would,” Fury recalled, sharing a look with Coulson who stood silent by the closed door, “I didn’t make the connection till I saw him shine in passing, when he thought nobody was around. If I were to guess, and I’m sure it is the case, he had met someone who tried to get his heart.”

“The man, Yinsen, he mentioned a Monger,” Coulson pointed out and moved from the door towards Fury, “That could be the same follower of the Mandarin.”

“Who’s that?” Steve heard Scott ask but he already knew, from rumours and stories passed down even among pirates.

“The most dangerous wizard,” he said, rising from his seat and turning to look at his crew, “The kind who’d look for ways to be immortal with a star’s heart.”

Steve met Natasha’s eyes and knew that they were in deeper trouble than it seemed at the surface.

The crew was buzzing with suppressed energy and confusion as they left the premise and assembled on their ship. Steve watched them filter onto the deck, each holding their composure in different ways. Clint took to a corner, arms crossed and eyes sharp as he held watch over the others from outside. Natasha found her place to Steve’s left, a step behind in caution and alertness. Bruce always stuck to an exit and Steve saw him stand against the door to the base cabin, arms wrapped around himself. Scott was a few feet away from Clint, back prone and eyes darting around the space, trusting the way only those who knew to escape could. Sam had followed them onto the ship in silent solidaruty and he stood opposite to Steve, arms at his sides, calm in stance. Steve didn’t look to his right, where his first mate would have been standing, shoulder to shoulder by habit.

“All of you know the truth of today,” Steve spoke, hands hooked into the sash around his coat’s waist, “We’ve lost a man of our crew and he is in danger.”

“He’s also a good liar,” Clint muttered and Steve looked over at him.

“Yes,” he agreed, noting Clint’s fleeting raised brow, “I know that. All explanations you need are going to be sought from him when we get him back.”

Steve looked around at his crew and saw those he would protect with everything in him. Just as he knew Tony would, the damned bastard.

“No matter what Tony is, he is one of us,” Steve declared, holding on to that fact with all his stubbornness, “We trust each other through thunderstorms. We’ve handled trouble together and I ask the same today.”

“He didn’t stay for a reason,” Bruce commented, looking at the floor before he looked up, “Maybe he does know this better, Steve. We’re good but the Mandarin is not what we go against. I - I want him to be safe, but we might not be making the right choice if we go on this chase either.”

“He’s an immortal star,” Clint quipped, knowingly testing Steve’s resolve, “We’re not.”

“He was hurt,” a voice called out and everyone turned to see young Peter enter the deck with a wan face but determined eyes, looking around at the crew who had rescued him from a messy web. Steve had been hesitant at first but it had been Tony who had stuck by the decision to let the kid onto the crew, training him in his own creating chores while Steve took to equipping him with fighting skills. He was young, a teenager in dangerous waters, but Peter didn’t flinch from meeting the eyes of seasoned pirates around him.

He reminded Steve of a time when he himself had been younger, mixed with a fire that was reflective of Tony.

“I saw him sometimes, looking uneasy and lost,” Peter said, hair falling onto his forehead, “But he never once hesitated in helping anyone here, anytime we needed it. They said that he was hurt once before, by people who wanted - wanted his heart. He must have hated humans after that, isn’t it? Why would he not? We would, if someone hurt us that way, right? And still -”

Peter looked straight at Clint, earnest in his honesty, and Steve watched him in silence.

“Still,” the young boy continued, “he chose to trust us. We’re pirates, we are ruthless for a life, and he didn’t have any reason to trust us but he did. He stayed and helped build this crew stronger. Built our gear, pushed us further than other crews. I - He chose to keep one part of his life a secret from us but can we really forget every other part he gave? All I know is that if it was any of us out there, in trouble, then he’d come for us. Immortal or not.”

Steve met Clint’s eyes and then looked at Peter who now looked awkward, all of a gangly teen.

“Alright then,” Clint took a step forward, “What’s the plan, Cap?”

They decided to split up, the crew taking the ship to look for both Tony and any sign of trouble in the skies while Steve took to the ground. Natasha didn’t object to be put in charge of the ship but she did refuse the Captain’s knot pin, giving Steve a calm look as she said that he would need it when he returned. Wilson volunteered to join Steve on his venture, saying that he could help in tracking through trade connections if nothing else came through. Steve appreciated it but he refused, instead asking the man to help out his crew if possible. 

Steve was packing things to leave when he heard a knock on his door and looked up to see Bruce.

“You ready?” the shorter man asked and Steve nodded him in, noting the way his nerves were showing more than usual, “I - uh, I’m going to try and put together that tracker that Natasha borrowed from Fury. It’s not working right now but it’s worth a shot.”

“Thank you, Bruce,” Steve said as he pulled out his compass from the drawer and tucked it into his pocket. He knew that the other man was still standing, but wanted to let him speak in his own time.

“Steve, I,” Bruce paused and the Captain pulled his rucksack closed, straightening up to look at the man, “What I said outside -”

“He's your best friend, Bruce. You have a right to be a little angry,” Steve said but Bruce shook his head with a sigh.

“It's not that,” he said, pushing up his wire glasses, “I think I understand why he hid things but I got scared and I didn't - I've got a bad track record with people around me surviving. The idea of the crew falling down that path unnerved me for a moment.”

“I understand”

“But I also think that I need to be honest about some things if you're going to get my friend back,” he continued, meeting Steve's frown calmly, “Steve, I think Tony is using a reactor to control his heart.”

“What?” Steve blinked in wary confusion and Bruce dug into the pouch tied around his waist to pull out a parchment.

“Before I joined this crew, I worked with people who indulged in the quest for pure energy,” the man explained, words flowing faster now, “There were talks of something as strong as lightning but more focused. I don’t know much of it but when we passed the outskirts of the Reserve, one of my friends met a man who apparently had plans of building a reactor from an element that resembled the energy of the stars. Cho never spoke of it much, but it was an exciting idea and we never heard of it again.”

“Bruce -”

“The man’s name was Yinsen,” Bruce cut Steve short and the Captain snapped his mouth shut, realizing the direction of the story, “I’ve not met many men with that name and today - I think this was the same man.”

“You think Tony has a reactor in him,” Steve surmised.

“I think it would take a strong countermeasure to control or focus the energy he used to break free from the cell today,” Bruce nodded, looking mildly ill but pushing on, “If Fury is right and someone tried to take his heart out once, then it would have taken something drastic to keep him alive. To keep his heart ticking. Something as strong as a reactor.”

“But a reactor would be visible,” Steve commented, wanting to scream but keeping himself grounded, “We would have seen something, a device implanted in his heart would be visible, Bruce.”

“Not if you were someone as smart as Tony. I’ve heard of false skin covers,” Bruce said quietly and nodded at the parchment in Steve’s hand, “But the reason I told you this is not because of that. It’s - the reactor runs on palladium. And that’s not - it’s poison for a normal human. I don’t know about Tony’s anatomy but those marks on his neck…”

“It isn’t that safe for a star either,” Steve concluded, opening the parchment to see a rough sketch of a circular device in Tony’s familiar strokes.

“If that reactor is off, his heart might not run long,” Bruce warned bluntly and Steve focused on not crushing the parchment in his hand, “I’m sorry, Cap.”

“Well,” Steve breathed out and met Bruce’s eyes, “I guess we’re going to have to make sure it stays in till we figure out something better.”

Steve really hoped that Tony had a better plan than him because he was sure his was going to end in something suicidal or homicidal. He didn’t know if he particularly cared at the moment.


	4. Chapter 4

The reins struggled against his palm as they got closer, hooves trying to deviate from the path. Night was at its peak, blanket shadow over roads for travellers such as himself.

He tightened his grip on the leather in his hand and smiled softly. Not such as himself, he corrected mentally.

“Almost there,” he whispered to his ride and looked up to see the inn he was approaching. It was a modest place, a weathered structure with a name-post at the entrance. It was just the place he needed for his purpose. Quiet. Removed from crowds.

Getting off the antsy horse, he guided it to the vacant porch where he tied the reins to a handy pole and patted the flank sharply.

If it was a human, the horse would have flinched at the eerie calm in his eyes. He smiled at that thought, satisfied with the compliance.

A good courteous knock to the main door brought sounds of feet getting closer and the door opened to the lady of the inn squinting at him with a lamp in hand.

“Can I help you?” the woman asked with a slight frown and he took his hat off, smiling at her.

“Oh, my dear madam,” he said, the lamp’s light finally falling on his face and the green flickering in around his grey eyes, “You most certainly can.”

Five minutes later, he was lounging in a chair by the fire, laughing along with the innkeeper, a tall dark man with greying hair.

“Uh, Ma?” a voice came from the top of the stairs and he looked up to see a young man, presumably Mr. Rhodes’ son, walking down with a confused expression, “What’s going on?”

“Jim! Come on here,” the man’s father called him over and nodded to their guest, “Meet Mr. Stane here. He came into town a few weeks after you left home the last time.”

“Hello, Mr. Stane,” the young man shook his hand with a carefully polite expression even as his eyes were darting between Stane and his father, “It’s awfully late for a sudden visit. Is everything alright?”

“Oh, sorry, I usually deliver your mother’s medicines when I come by and,” Stane shrugged sheepishly, knowing that he looked all of a non-threatening middle aged man, “I planned to come earlier today but - well, I got a little delayed in other things. I felt guilty about it and didn’t want to wait until later, especially because I leave out of town for a while tomorrow. So I thought to drop them off now. I hope I didn’t disturb your sleep, I apologize.”

“Medicines?” James asked and Stane looked at his father who clapped the younger man’s back.

“Yes, yes, Mr. Stane has a wonderful hand for healing,” the innkeeper replied and Stane smiled self-deprecatingly.

“I try but it is not much a work of a true genius,” he said and turned back to James, “I learnt some basics from a few friends and use them to help when I can. My mother, bless her soul, always wanted me to become a proper doctor but unfortunately I recognized my interest in it quite later. When I met your parents for the first time, your mother complained of disturbance in breathing and I hoped that a few things I’d learnt in my travels could help.”

“And they did,” Mrs. Rhodes agreed as she came into the room wiping her hands on a towel, “Quite a help you’ve been, Mr. Stane.”

“Ah, I guess we owe you thanks then, sir,” James blinked before nodding at Stane.

“Please,” he smiled, “You can call me Obadiah. I’ve heard that you’re a Colonel at -”

There was a sound of floorboard creaking and Obadiah noted James stiffen but his father looked up ease.

“Ah, Anthony, sorry did we wake you?”

“You have another guest, I’m so sorry,” Obadiah looked up and saw a brunet man come into focus.

 _He looks just like the last one_ , he thought to himself, a soft hint of a smile still on his face. There was no shine to him though, and if the sources had been right then there should have been a hole in -

“It’s alright,” Anthony replied, a tight smile over a tired face and his eyes caught on to Obadiah’s face, “Is something wrong?”

“Obadiah Stane,” Obadiah introduced himself, moving around James with a cordial smile on his face as he stood at the foot of the stairs, “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Anthony…”

“Edward,” Anthony said quickly, too quick to be the truth and Obadiah felt amused at the game he could see he would have to play. He always did like a good chase. “Anthony Edward, I - I’m just passing by.”

“Not here to stay in town then?” Obadiah made an understanding expression and turned half to look at the Rhodes, “I shouldn’t be imposing more than this, I’m sure. Good evening to you, Terrence, Mrs. Rhodes. I hope you have a good stay till you have to get back, Colonel.”

“Come now, Mr. Stane,” Mrs. Rhodes chastised, “It’s late and it looks like it’ll rain any minute now. You shouldn’t travel back so late.”

“Stay the night, Obadiah,” Terrence agreed, “You can leave in the morning.”

James was frowning slightly at his parents, trying to gauge their behaviour but Obadiah knew that the man would find nothing revealing. The spell he had used was finely honed, too efficient to be caught. Besides, he had done this enough to make it look natural.

Keeping up the act, he looked awkward for a second, just enough to make the two young men aware that they should make their agreement known too. James looked mildly displeased by the turn of events but Obadiah was more focussed on Anthony, who looked appropriately trapped.

“I didn’t know that they’d have other guests,” Obadiah told Anthony when they were retiring to their rooms after a while, a sympathetic look on his face, “You must be in the army with James?”

Anthony shot him a quick glance as they walked towards their doors, which were beside each other.

“No, I work with - uh, merchants,” he said and Obadiah shot him an interested look.

“Oh? My son runs in that circle too. What do you trade?”

“Power” Anthony said and continued quickly, “ful tools. Powerful tools, craftsmen tools. You?”

“Oh, I deal in transportation, son,” Obadiah laughed, “My father was a sharp trader but he made him business in transporting other people’s goods. I found it interesting and never looked back. It’s not a regular business but it helps me meet a lot of good people and keeps life interesting.

“I understand a bit about that,” Anthony nodded, a momentary fond wistfulness on his face and there, Obadiah caught a mild hint of a shine on his face. Interesting. 

“You said you’re just passing by,” Stane commented casually, patting his shoulder lightly, “Going to meet family, I presume? It seems like the season of coming home. My boy should be home in a few days himself.”

Anthony looked hunted and ready to spring, a passing panic on his face. 

“Oh. Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Stane made a remorseful face, pulling his voice softer, “I’m sorry, son, I’m an old blabbermouth at times. You don’t have to talk about it, I can mind my own business, don’t worry.”

“No, no, I - It’s okay,” Anthony covered up before offering a short shrug, “I was just going to visit a friend. I  well, I don’t have much of a family.”

“That’s regretful, Anthony,” Stane said and offered his hand as he reached his room, “But I sure believe that your parents must be as proud of you as I am of my son. You look like a good young man and I’m glad to have met you in your journey.”

Anthony looked surprised but Obadiah detected that faint glow again as he shook hands before leaving the young man and getting into his own room. 

It was always better to have a content star’s heart but looking at Anthony, he figured that anything less than fearful would have to do. 

He waited for a few hours before beginning his work. It was easy to cast the parents to deep sleep. When he entered James’ room, the sheets were covering the man and Stane didn’t bother wasting time before casting a spell over the figure lying unsuspecting in the bed. On his way back, he heard a commotion coming from the kitchen and spied Anthony getting himself a glass of water.  Obadiah palmed the stunning arc device he had brought in his pocket and quietly made his way behind the young man. 

It was dreadfully easy to stun the man and Stane caught the glass when Anthony froze, the tumbler slipping out of his hand. 

“Shh, shh now, easy, easy,” he crooned sweetly, taking the weight of the paralysed star, an arm around his waist, “I’ve got you.”

Dragging a petrified looking Anthony to the nearest chair, an armchair in the living room, was troublesome but Obadiah pushed him down into the seat and sighed, looking down. 

“You know,” he began, clicking his fingers and letting the star see his real appearance, a final victory, “When I sent Yinsen with that blood mark, I didn’t actually expect him to find you. I thought this was going to play out longer but who would have thought? A star, in the exact pirate council where Nick Fury was. The same star he tried to hide from me all these years.”

Anthony was draining colour and Obadiah leaned over him, noting the way his eyes tracked. 

“It’s strange, how you look exactly like him,” Stane chuckled lowly, tilting Anthony’s chin up, “Yes, you could pass for Howard’s son. Oh yes, I knew all about Howard. He was an easy one, so ready to know about  _ humans _ and everything they created,” Obadiah scoffed, patting Anthony’s chest before looking down, “Well, looks like you’ve been covering up better than him though. Now, if I remember right from my sources, Raza almost got your heart out, didn’t he? I heard you had a messy carving, and he would have got it. If not for that Yinsen.”

Anthony’s eyes widened when Obadiah pulled his shirt down and peered at the fake patch of skin, easily peeling it off to expose the glass reactor guarding his heart. 

“Ah, yes, that’s more like it,” Stane smiled down at his prey, bringing out the special clawed blade he had saved for this moment, “Really beautiful, look at all that light. I must say -” he grunted, attaching the blade to the reactor’s edges and twisting, shushing when Anthony seemed to shake, “ - I had hoped I’d get a brighter heart. Howard helped me last long that way. But I suppose this would do too.”

The reactor shifted from its place and Obadiah watched it in awed satisfaction as he began pulling it out. 

“This, Anthony, will be your legacy,” he declared, “And I’m sure it will be -”

A sharp blow to his head knocked him off and Stane fell to the floor, looking up in furious pain to see James standing with a metal rod in his hands. 

“Get away from him,” the man warned and Obadiah grappled to get up even as James grabbed Anthony with one arm, kicking the nearest table’s contents in Stane’s face when he shot a beam of fire in his direction. It took him a minute to get to his feet but by then Rhodes had carried Anthony out of the room. 

Roaring in anger, Obadiah destroyed the chair where he almost had the star and stalked out to finish his mission. He had waited too long to not get what he wanted and if he had to kill a few more people in the way, it wouldn't matter. 

The star was his.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Tony could feel the effect of paralysis wearing off but he couldn’t catch his breath as Rhodes half dragged, half carried him out the door to the stable.

“Oh my god, oh my good God, what was that,” Rhodes whispered, words running into each other, grip painfully tight around Tony’s middle, “He was going to take - you have a - your chest  _ glows _ ?!!”

“Breathe - air -”

“What? Oh, oh, right,” Rhodes brought Tony to the ground and helped him lean against the nearest pole for a minute, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Tony breathed, pressing his reactor back into place with shaking hands before clutching Rhodes’ arm, “You need to run”

“Yeah, we do,” Rhodes agreed but Tony shook his head, trying to get his heartbeat back on track.

“ _ No _ ,  **you** need to run,” he said vehemently, looking at the other man with wild but determined eyes, “Rhodey, he’s a wizard. He can track me now -”

“And you’re a star who he wants to  _ eat _ , what the -”

“ - but not you,” Tony shook Rhodey with his might, making him listen, “He can’t track you. Your parents, he’ll kill them to get to me. You need to grab them and run. I’ll distract him.”

“I grabbed some of his things,” Rhodey brought out a black candle and a half torn parchment, “It fell when I knocked him out, maybe this will help.”

“A Babylon candle,” Tony whispered and the plan was clear in his head. He made the decision and pushed the candle back in Rhodey’s hand. “Listen to me,” he said firmly, “grab your parents and light this candle. Think of the safest place, somewhere far from here and don’t waver. This candle will get you there immediately.”

“Then you can -”

“I’ve already put everyone in danger,” Tony cut him off, pushing down panic as he knew time was short, “Rhodey, please. You’ve saved me once, that’s enough. Now save your family.”

Rhodey looked indecisive for a second before nodding curtly, moving away with the candle in hand.

“Go,” Tony urged again, walking towards the door of the stable, “I’ll distract him till you get to your parents. Run. And Rhodey, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t die,” Rhodey said in return before sneaking out as Tony took a breath, walking out with his chest burning.

“Stane!” he yelled at the entrance of the inn, in full display, “Come out! I don’t think you were done talking!”

Tony had the remaining part of the parchment Rhodey had found from Stane and he crushed it in his fist, gathering every bit of courage he had as he taunted the wizard who was after his life. It took a few minutes and an explosive sound before the wounded wizard stumbled out, looking crazily enraged.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Stane rasped dangerously, stalking forward in unstable steps, “I was planning to make this painless but now, now I’m going to make you suffer.”

“I’m a pirate, octopus-head,” Tony taunted him, calculating the time it would take Rhodey to get away, “I’ve seen worse fish than you.”

Stane let out a strangled shout of rage and Tony saw his hand rise, preparing himself for an attack.

There was a loud neighing and Tony saw Patriot charge into Stane, head-butting him into the nearest wall. The mare was in a frenzy, attacking the wizard and Tony saw a flash of light in the window above, signalling that Rhodey had lit the candle. There was a different horse tied to the post nearby who was pulling against his knotted leash and Tony knew he had been granted a window of opportunity.

“Okay, okay, please work,” he muttered as he quickly walked to the tied horse and untied him, shushing the frightened animal to the best of his ability, “What’s you name, sshh, sshh, calm down, what do I call you, uh, Edwin? Alfred? Jarvis?”

The horse slowed his struggle against Tony’s efforts and he breathed out.

“Okay, okay, Jarvis it is, come on,” he patted the animal softly before moving to climb on his back, “Please don’t throw me off, okay, J? Okay? Okay, let’s do this.”

The reins were tough against his palm and Tony shot one last glance at the wizard struggling against Patriot before he snapped a command, holding tight as Jarvis shot out of the place like he had been waiting just for that.

Jarvis didn’t stop as they crossed the clearing of the inn into the woods nearby, not letting up on speed like he wanted to get away from Obadiah too. Tony ducked and weaved through the low hanging branches, firmly not looking back and let the horse charge at full pace. He had no idea where they would go but he figured that he’d plan further once they could lose their trail. His chest ached from the shoddy fix of the reactor and he felt his breaths come shallower than normal but he couldn’t stop.

When he heard a rustling sound, he turned back for an instant and then turned around to see a familiar figure standing in his path. Tony pulled on the reins with all his might and Jarvis came to an abrupt halt, throwing Tony off his back. He closed his eyes in preparation for the fall but landed on something softer than the ground.

“Fu - are you alright?”

Tony opened his eyes and looked at the face beneath him, eyes widening with recognition.

“Steve?”

“What the hell are you doing riding that way?” Steve asked back, unbelievably still holding Tony tight, “Are you alright?”

“Am  _ I _  alright?” Tony echoed, pushing himself up in the small space Steve’s arms were allowing, “What are you doing here? You - you could have been trampled, you dumb tree!”

“You’re welcome, no problems being your human fall breaker,” Steve replied sarcastically and Tony felt hysterical laughter well in his lungs. This idiot, this crazy stubborn fool whom he had been trying to save by leaving was back. He wanted to either strangle the man or kiss him senseless, both sounding easy at the distance they were at. He pushed himself off Steve instead and thankfully the Captain let go, giving Tony some breathing space to clear his head.

“How did you find me?” Tony asked, holding out a hand and pulling Steve up, surreptiously checking him for any injury, “And why? Where’s the crew?”

“I  _ tried _  to find you but apparently you thought it better to run a horse into me,” Steve replied and didn’t bother being subtle as he looked Tony over with a frown, jaw tightening at the reactor he could see, “The crew is safe and sticking to the skies. Which is where we should go back, if you’ve had your share of hide and seek.”

“Steve,” Tony shook his head and a whinny caught his attention, diverting him to Jarvis, “Hey, J, don’t worry, this is Steve. He’s not going to hurt us, okay? Right, Cap?”

“Not going to hurt  _ you _ ,” Steve muttered to Jarvis and Tony rolled his eyes as the blond cautiously offered his palm to the horse, “Hey, buddy, you’re new. I scared you, didn’t I? I’m sorry, pal, what’s your name?”

“He’s Jarvis,” Tony replied and Steve raised a brow at him before turning back to talk to the slowly calming horse.

“Hello, Jarvis, I’m Captain Steve Rogers,” he said, a small smile on his face when Jarvis sniffed at his hand curiously, “I take it Jarvis here is stolen?”

“He came with someone who wanted to kill me,” Tony quipped casually, “I didn’t like the idea so we had to part ways.”

“And this someone,” Steve eyed Tony with sharp eyes, “Would that be the reason your - light is showing?”

“Let’s say he wanted a piece of me,” Tony replied, pretending to ignore the way Steve’s eyes became cold at the insinuation, “So, I presume you’ve figured out that I -”

“Are a star?” Steve completed dryly, tightening his rucksack on his shoulder, “Yes, that was something new to know.”

“Steve -”

“Now if we follow on the same path, we should reach the -”

“Cap -”

“- nearest market soon and from there we can -”

“Rogers, can you please yell and get the suspense done?” Tony blurted, shrugging sheepishly and hoping his awkward nervousness wasn’t showing, “Listen, I know you’re mad that I lied. And that I ran. And that the crew is in trouble right now. And probably a few more things that I don’t know about yet. But I’ve had one of my worst days in a long time today and I’d really like to get the yelling out of the way.”

Steve looked at him for a moment with an inscrutable expression on his face before exhaling, his shoulders relaxing minutely. 

“I  _ am _  angry that you lied to me,” he said, holding Tony’s gaze head-on, “because we could have helped. Any of us, all of us could have tried to help.”

“You can’t punch your way through everything, Cap”

“If you were in danger? I think you’ll find that I can,” Steve answered, not realizing the way Tony’s heart skipped a beat at the easy commitment he was dropping, “You are my friend. The dumbest genius I know -”

“Hey”

“- and my partner,” Steve continued, dead serious in a way that threatened to steal what was left of the stuttering air in Tony’s lungs, “You are my partner and my first mate, Tony, what makes you think that you being some celestial being is going to make me forget that? You being a runaway jerk and a pain in my ass didn’t change that, why should this?”

Tony snorted a laugh at that, running a hand over his face, knowing that he was shining.

“I think Clint is better at emotional reassurance, and that’s not a compliment,” he quipped, rolling his eyes at the smirk he got in return.

“Now come on,” Steve nudged Tony’s shoulder with his own and walked around to Jarvis’ side, “I’ll ride this time. We don’t want to die before somebody tries to kill us.”

“Anything to get me to hold you,” Tony teased casually, pulling on his usual charm that Steve never took seriously.

“You see right through me,” Steve replied easily, swinging up onto Jarvis’ back and gestured behind him, “Now hop on.”

They rode for a while in silence before Tony felt himself fall drowsy, resting his head on Steve’s back when he couldn’t control himself. Steve didn’t say anything to stop him and for the first time since they had landed at Fury’s place, Tony felt calm enough to let himself drift, looping his arms around Steve’s waist to keep balance. He woke up when he felt something shake underneath him.

“Hmm?”

“Hey, Tony, wake up,” a voice repeated and Tony dragged himself to consciousness, blinking as he lifted his head from where it had squished itself between Steve’s shoulders.

“Where are we?” he asked, wincing when he noted that he had drooled a little, wiping at his mouth and looking at the lit street they were entering, “How long was I asleep?”

“Not enough but I think you should drool on a pillow instead,” Steve answered, looking over his shoulder with an easy hint of teasing, “This is Brook’s Lane. I thought we could rest here for a while before we decide what to do next.”

Steve brought Jarvis to a halt in front of an inn that had a painting of a knight above the name  _ The Lost Knight _ .

“Interesting name,” Tony commented and got off the horse, moving to let Steve follow suit before continuing, “But I think you’re forgetting that I can still be tracked. I’ve already seen one inn destroyed recently, I don’t think a repeat performance is necessary.”

Steve ignored the comment and took Jarvis to the stable beside the inn, letting Tony tag along without a word. Once they had finished securing Jarvis and arranged for him to be fed, Steve walked to the front door of the inn and Tony caught his arm.

“Steve,” he said seriously, pulling the bigger man close enough that he could whisper, “I just put an innocent man at risk by staying at his home. I don’t know where he is now and that’s better for him. I am  _ not _  putting yet another person at risk by staying here.”

“Good,” Steve whispered back, not pulling away the arm Tony had but digging into his pant pocket with his free hand to pull out a compass, “Because I agree. I also, though, am not going to put  _ you _  at risk so you’re not running off again. Here, take this.”

“Your compass,” Tony observed, looking from the item to Steve’s face with mild confusion, “What do I do with it?”

“You keep it,” the Captain answered, placing the compass in Tony’s palm and closing his fingers around it, “And it protects you.”

“How -”

“You know, of all the unending questions you’ve asked me, I’m surprised that you never asked me about my compass,” Steve shook his head with fond exasperation, “It doesn’t just show you direction. It also misleads any magical tracing spell put on you, showing them a direction different from yours. My mother gave it to my father and she got it from a witch’s bargain when she was young. I kept it as a memory but I think it’ll help you more.”

Tony stared at the tiny copper circle in his hand and swallowed hard. He had never asked Steve about the compass because he knew that it was one thing that was personal in a way others weren’t. In all the time he had known his Captain, Steve had never parted from it, always anxious if he couldn’t find it on his person. It was almost a part of him.

Holding it in his palm felt like Steve had given him something more precious than just a trinket. It was like being given someone’s heart and Tony knew that he would rather lose his own heart than lose this.

He looked back up at Steve and for a moment it seemed like the man he had promised to stop wanting wanted him back. There was a strange fragility in the blue eyes that met his own and Tony could have filled his lungs with all the air in the world but still been breathless. There was a weight in his chest that had nothing to do with his ticking heart and Tony would have given Steve anything, anything he asked in that moment. Freely and willingly.

But Steve wouldn’t. Not what Tony wanted to give and that was the truth fated in the stars above them.

He smiled softly at Steve and held on to the part of care he had been given.


	6. Chapter 6

Steve could still feel the heat of Tony’s closeness as they walked into the inn, a strange awkwardness between them. Their arms were carefully not touching and Tony seemed to be making a strong effort to not look at Steve for more than a minute. 

He wished he could say that he was feeling normal himself but the warmth of Tony’s hand around his elbow and the fleeting look of unnamed fondness in his eyes still lingered in Steve’s mind. It felt like the moment before a lightning strike, the air tense with an unseen anticipation, and Steve had to remind himself that the present was not a dream where his madness came true. 

The thought had been a quiet one for a while, slowly materializing with every day that he’d flown the skies. Some days he’d catch Tony laughing at a dry joke Natasha had made and catch the lines of his smile, wishing he could capture it in a lightning vault. Nights when he was quiet at heart and missing a lost void, he’d find the silent company of Tony working on some gear but reassuring in his steady presence, fitting in like that was what had been missing. Some days had grown to many and then to every day till wanting to call Tony more than just his friend had become familiar as his heartbeat. But he had known, even before now, even when the man had been the smart-mouthed pirate aboard his ship, that Tony was beyond his league with his quick kindness, easy charm, and glowing beauty that could catch anyone’s eye. 

Knowing that he was a star, an actual star, only cemented that certainty and the quiet thrum of longing lay buried beneath Steve’s ribs. Stars could be loved and he did so, with all the fire in him, but to want the stars to love him back was a desire of a foolish human heart.

They were given a single room to rest and the Captain was grateful for the reprieve, nudging Tony along till they were safe inside. 

“I think I’ll use the bath,” Tony said, still not looking at Steve completely, picking at his shirt’s collar stiffly, “That is if you -”

“No, I - sure,” Steve coughed, noting the wooden partition between bath and bed and trying hard to remove the imaginary visual of Tony bathing that close, “I can wait, of course.”

If Tony could hear the rushed nerves in his voice, he didn’t call Steve on it but pulled the partition in place before going to the other side. Steve stood staring till he saw the outline of Tony pulling his shirt off and hastily turned around, taking a deep breath to remove the imagination of helping the man with his clothes. Slowly. 

“I’ve got a spare shirt if you need it,” he called out, clearing his throat when his voice cracked a little, “Do you want anything else?”

There were sounds of water splashing, like someone entering a tub and Steve stared at the wall in front of him, cursing his excellent hearing for the way it sounded like he was right beside the tub. 

“I could do with the shirt,” Tony called back, an odd note in his voice that made Steve want to go over and see his face, “You wouldn’t happen to have brought a spare undergarment with you, right?”

And yes, apparently Steve could flush even more than he already was, the idea of Tony using  _ his _ -

“No,” he replied quickly, determinedly going towards the bed to sit down, “Just the shirt. I’ll - I’ll let you have a moment now. Uh, shout if you need something.”

There was a moment of quiet before a wry chuckle came from behind. 

“Never thought I’d see the day when you wanted me to scream for you in the bath, Cap,” Tony commented and Steve resisted the urge to bury his head in a pillow, not risking a word to let this chain of conversation continue. His mind was doing a good job of ruining him on its own anyway. 

It took Tony a short time to clean himself up and Steve heard the sounds of wet footsteps against the floor. 

“The bath’s all yours,” Tony said and Steve turned to see him standing with a towel around his hips, reactor on display in his chest, “You have some pants too?”

Steve nodded wordlessly, eyes catching on the droplets of water that drifted down the bright blue glass, shining like fragments of a star. There were scars around the reactor, matted and branching but they did nothing to take away from the strength of Tony’s shoulders and lithe muscles shifting as he dried his hair off with a smaller towel. The towel on his hips hung low, creating an illusion of a present waiting to be unwrapped and Steve caught the beginning of a dark trail disappearing down the covered area before he snapped his eyes back up to Tony’s face that was turned away from him for the moment. 

“Cap?”

“Sure, it’ll be in the sack, I’ll just -,” Steve didn’t complete the sentence and stood up, grabbing his own clothes before he moved around Tony to the other side of the partition. He needed a cold bath. A freezing bath, really. 

The bath cleared his head a little and Steve convinced himself that he wouldn’t make the situation any more stressful or tense by making a fool of himself. He was good at it, he reminded his mind, he had practice of keeping his feelings hidden and he would not forget that now. Tony needed a friend, not a pervert who was wishing for the impossible at a time when they were quite literally being hunted. 

When he came back around to the other side of the room, Tony was sitting on the bed in his clothes, sleeves folded up so they weren’t trailing off his hand and feet bare under the mildly ill-fitting pants. His head was bent low and eyes focused on a half-torn map, but Steve was struck by how comfortable he looked in Steve’s clothes - like he owned them and had always been meant to be in them. He looked at home, safe yet vulnerable, and Steve was reminded of a cool breeze night when he had first seen Tony with something other than friendship. His curls weren’t wind-swept right now, nor were his fingers playing with a dagger stolen from Clint, but he had the same calm on him and a vibrancy of otherworld. 

“You can say something, you know?” Tony said without looking up and Steve blinked, moving forward till he could find his own shirt. 

“About what?” he asked as he pulled out a blue tunic with white stitches, dragging it over his head.

“You know what,” Tony replied, looking up with hooded eyes before looking back down, “I know it’s strange.”

“Strange?” Steve echoed, wondering if Tony knew, if he had seen how -

“Strange,” Tony agreed, gesturing at his chest absently, leaning back and looking at Steve, “Not really pretty either.”

Steve frowned before he caught on and sighed, running a hand through his hair to comb out the cowlicks.

“I don’t think that,” he disagreed, hooking his feet around a chair’s leg before dragging it closer to the bed, sitting down so he could catch Tony’s gaze properly, “It’s unique.”

“Unique, right,” Tony rolled his eyes, “I’ve seen the scars, Steve. It’s ugly and you don’t need to sugar-coat it.”

Steve eyed him quietly, noting the fake casualness he was exuding. In the years that he had known Tony, he had learnt that the man had masks that he changed with ease of a professional. He would challenge the world to hit him, harder and more, just so he could prove that he wasn’t affected by the pain even if the bruises didn’t seem worth it to any sane man. To Tony, they were marks of confirmation that he could survive, that he was capable of being stronger than his wounds. Steve had known that there was something in Tony’s past that had left him wary of being powerless or not in control, but he now knew that it had been deeper than he had presumed. 

It hurt him, made his gut boil with fury, at the thought of Tony having been betrayed and almost killed before but this wasn’t about Steve. His anger did not matter more than Tony’s survival, his strive for it. 

“I’ve seen things, people, made with utmost beauty,” Steve said quietly, looking down at his hands before he met Tony’s curious gaze, “And all they did was destroy others. Your device? Those scars? They’re not evidence of destruction. They’re of survival. In my eyes, that’s better than anything else. Besides, you didn’t see me when I was younger. Tiny as a shrimp, bones more than skin, I think I’ve heard every word meaning unpretty. So I know what I’m saying when I say it’s pretty.”

Tony didn’t say anything for a minute but his face relaxed into a small smile before he exhaled slowly. 

“I guess you know about Yinsen and -” he took a shaky breath and Steve let him have a minute before Tony shot him a bitter smile, “-Anyway, Yinsen was the unfortunate man who saved me from a wonderful carving session when I was first captured. Brilliant man, loved science and was an absolute fool. He shouldn’t have - idiot.”

Steve stayed silent and watched Tony gather his words before he spoke again. 

“I was younger when I fell from to Earth,” he began, scratching his nose, “I didn’t plan to but there was a war between Asgardian princes and out of nowhere, Mjolnir, the goddamn hammer of Thor, hit me and dragged me down to Earth. When I landed, I realized that I was stranded because Mjolnir wasn’t being called back.”

Tony shook his head, rubbing at his eyes in weariness but kept talking. 

“Once I realized that I would have no luck with the hammer,” he continued, looking at a point over Steve’s shoulder, “I decided to try and find some help. I was hurt, tired, and confused but I didn’t find anyone for a while. Till I met Aldrich.”

“Aldrich?”

“Aldrich Killian,” Tony nodded, a shadow passing over his face, “A flustered young man who was travelling with his betrothed. Her name was Virginia and - anyway. Aldrich worked as an apprentice for a scientist, he said, and he insisted on helping me. I agreed because I had no other idea, and we set out for his town. He was annoying and I was younger, not as subtle as I am now -”

Steve quirked a smile at that and Tony chuckled.

“- so I wasn’t the most polite with him when he kept asking me questions,” Tony recalled, swallowing a pause, “Virginia though, was quieter and smart in the few words we exchanged. She was a beautiful woman, witty and kind, and completely unlike her partner. When we reached Killian’s house, he left saying he would go finish a few errands and left me in the hands of his betrothed.”

Tony leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and Steve could sense the melancholy in his voice. 

“I called her Pepper to make her exasperated enough to chat with me,” he shared, a soft tone to his words, “She cared for me and didn’t take any of my teasing lying down. I was the star but I could see a warmth and glow in her that was softer, brighter than I had seen before.”

“You loved her,” Steve surmised and Tony shrugged even as his face revealed the truth. 

“I admired her,” he said, “And I could see that she was fond of me, but there was something reserved in her whenever she realized that she was laughing out loud or being open. It was like she believed she wasn’t allowed it. It wasn’t until later, the next morning when Killian drugged me and sold me off to a member of the Mandarin’s Ten Rings that I suspected that she really might not have.”

There was a silence where the weight of the words carried between them and Steve visualized a young Tony being carted off to be killed. He almost wished Killian was alive just so he could kill him. 

“Mandarin was a wizard of the old world but his followers remained in groups of the Ten Rings,” Tony spoke again after a moment, “Killian had arranged for my transfer over to one such follower, Raza. A star’s heart is priceless and a fresh one at that, it was worth more than most humans could imagine. Everlasting life.”

“Sounds lonely,” Steve muttered and Tony seemed to wince but before Steve could react he pulled on a smile. 

“Not to them, I suppose,” he carried on, inhaling before continuing, “Raza had his helpers and a few men he had captured for their disobedience of the group in a nearby town. Yinsen was among the men and I was put in his cell till I could be considered ready to be killed.”

“And he saved you?”

“He had lost his entire family to Raza,” Tony remembered, hands tightening around his knees, “When he figured out that I was a star, he knew that my heart would make them more powerful than ever. Yinsen was an engineer and between us, we decided to build an escape out of there. The reactor was supposed to amplify my power, bring focus to it, enough to make me a weapon. Unfortunately for us, Raza decided to kill me a day before he was supposed to.”

“So -”

“I was on the table and half cut when Yinsen caused a commotion,” Tony breathed out shakily, “Even that would not have been enough through, if Pepper hadn’t come to our rescue. She had run away from Killian to save me and it was only when she burst into the hall that I found out that she had powers in her - fire that made her powerful but also risked her life. Killian had been experimenting on her and it was unsafe but she saved us that day, just enough that Yinsen could get me off the table, protecting my half revealed heart.”

Tony finally met Steve’s eyes head-on and there was a burning anger mixed with indescribable sorrow in them. 

“I never saw Pepper after that day but the mansion went up in flames as Yinsen and I ran for our lives,” he revealed, “Yinsen saved my life by protecting my heart with the reactor and urged me to run somewhere where no human could track me. I tried to make him run with me but he refused, wanting to go back home even if nobody awaited him there.”

“That’s why you joined sky-pirates,” Steve understood, swallowing hard at all the risks Tony had taken to be here, “Because you can’t be tracked if you don’t stay on the ground.”

Tony nodded and Steve couldn’t handle it, couldn’t see the way he seemed to be collapsing into himself.  _ God _ . All those years, all this time of remembering the way he had been abused and used for nothing more than his heart. All that grief and loss with guilt that he didn’t deserve to carry. Tony had been lonely even when he hadn’t been alone and Steve - 

He couldn’t let him believe that he wasn’t understood. That he wasn’t loved for more than the light he gave. 

Moving as though outside his body, Steve covered Tony’s hands with his own and swallowed hard when brown eyes looked surprised. He knew that his own eyes were revealing everything, all that he had thought unworthy of speaking out loud, but Steve couldn’t look away now. 

“I - Tony -,” he stuttered and Tony’s eyes widened when he moved closer involuntarily, “I am so glad I met you.”

“Steve?” Tony’s voice held a hope that Steve had felt beating beneath his ribs everyday. 

_ A star reveals their shine when their heart is happiest. _

Steve tracked Tony’s eyes and saw with wonder as the man slowly seemed to be lighting up from the inside, a beautiful glow touching his skin when Steve’s hands tightened mildly around Tony’s fingers. The Captain had always loved the stars from afar but it didn’t compare to this tentative flame he was holding in his palms. Nothing would ever compare and Steve felt a broken, raw smile mould his lips. 

“And I’m really glad you’re here,” he whispered, feeling the warmth of Tony’s breath when he finally moved forward, the light growing brighter. 

“Took us long enough,” Tony replied and Steve chuckled only to have his breath stolen by the lightest brush of lips before Tony said, “I’m glad you came after me.”

“I always chase the stars,” Steve informed before leaning back in to swallow Tony’s laugh, closing his eyes to the light that enveloped them as he held a star’s hand to his heart and let himself live his dream.


	7. Chapter 7

Tony woke up to a warmth he wasn’t used to and it made him want to push in deeper under the covers, content in a way he had only imagined in dreams. Sleep had left him for majority and he could feel awareness seeping into his bones but it felt good to just - be. 

He shifted and felt something tighten around his waist. Opening his eyes, he found a blue chest meeting his gaze, looking a bit up to see the sleeping face of - 

Oh. Steve.  _ Oh _ . 

Steve had chosen to wear his shirt when Tony hadn’t been comfortable taking his own off when their kissing had dragged them onto the bed. He’d simply rubbed a thumb over Tony’s lips and smiled fondly, assuring him that it was good, he was happy with the idea. It was warm, he had said and Tony had dragged him in for another soul-stealing kiss because the man was impossible and wonderful in ways that kept increasing. 

He had kissed Steve, Tony repeated in his head, knowing that his face was breaking out in a smile on its own at the memory. He had  _ kissed _ Steve Rogers. Steve Rogers had kissed  _ him _ . 

And -- then he’d fallen asleep. While kissing Steve Rogers. 

“If you’re planning to run or panic, can you do it after breakfast?” he heard and looked up to see Steve open one eye blearily, lips curling into a knowing smile, “Or are we on a schedule?”

“How do you not have morning breath?” Tony asked instead of answering the question, trying to reign back his grin in vain. 

“Well,” Steve raised a brow and Tony let out a huff of surprise when the blond turned them around till he could lean over Tony, “You have your powers and I have mine.”

“I like that,” Tony replied and closed his eyes as his Captain brushed kisses over his forehead, eyelids, nose, and finally pressed a sweet kiss onto his grin, “But I’ll like it more if we discussed a plan.”

Steve sighed against his lips but nodded, pushing up and sitting beside Tony, back against the wall. Tony dragged himself up on the bed and mirrored him, touching shoulders. He was  _ pretty _ sure that Steve wouldn’t like the plan. 

“No,” Steve declared as predicted once Tony explained his idea, “I know you like tempting fate but this is insane even for that. Absolutely not.”

“You know, I almost missed your stubbornness for a while,” Tony replied before continuing at Steve’s death-stare, “Cap, I can either run again or end this once and for all.”

“But that doesn’t mean you run toward the Mandarin  _ alone _ ,” Steve argued, eyes flashing at the name, “We’ll do this together.”

“We’ll lose”

“Then we’ll get out of it together too,” Steve insisted and Tony reached out a hand, cupping the clenched jaw of the most stubborn human he had met. Even when he couldn’t, Steve always tried to protect everyone and Tony was more realistic than that but he couldn’t help but love Steve for his heart. 

“I am not abandoning you,” Steve promised in a warning tone and Tony shook his head with a smile. 

“I know,” he pacified, watching Steve’s eyes soften when he ran his thumb over the cupped jaw, “I’m not asking you to abandon me either. I’m not that selfless, sorry.”

“Good,” Steve said firmly, pressing an absent kiss against Tony’s palm and the star was sure he was glowing openly. 

“But if I do this, and I will, I’m going to need more than you,” Tony explained, shifting till he could face Steve better, “We’re going to need all the support we can get. I need our crew. Our friends. And they’ll need their Captain to command an attack.”

“Natasha is more than capable -”

“She is, and I trust her, but she doesn’t know what you know,” Tony reminded, making Steve pause, “If Stane has any sense, he’ll converge with the other followers to track the star who got away. And the map Rhodey stole has an approximate location of the Mandarin’s main quarters. If we can manage to get everyone in one place, we can take them all out. Or just the Mandarin. Without his power, everything will fall.”

Steve stayed silent but Tony could see that he was thinking. 

“I’ve spent too many years waiting for the fight to come to me, Steve,” he said quietly, knowing that Steve was watching him, “And it has cost me and everyone who knows me. I’m done waiting now, I’m done running from my own life. I’m done being the next star on their list. This time, I’m taking the fight to them. To end this.”

“Okay,” Steve nodded slowly, shooting Tony an understanding look, “Okay, we’ll end this. Together.”

“Together,” Tony agreed, welcoming one final kiss before Steve slipped out of bed to get ready. 

It was strangely normal to get ready together, like they had done this all their life, moving around each other in practiced circles. Steve insisted on folding their sparse clothes and making the bed, being smugly bossy when Tony complied despite grumbles. Tony felt pleasantly surprised when Steve went to get them breakfast from below, bringing him a freshly cut bunch of hastily tied white wildflowers. 

“Is this how you are, Rogers? Sappy?” Tony teased even as his face flushed red when he took the bouquet.

“For the right partner, yes,” Steve replied sincerely and okay, one more kiss wouldn’t hurt, Tony decided. 

As he was leaving, Steve placed his palm over Tony’s chest, fitting right over the light and touched his forehead to the brunet’s.

“Don’t die before you come back to me,” Tony told him and Steve nodded, a wry smile on his face as he moved back. 

“Don’t run before I get to you,” Steve replied and Tony offered him a sloppy salute, his right hand clutching the compass in his pant’s pocket as he watched the man he loved walk away. Taking a stabilizing breath, Tony turned around to get ready for his own journey. 

He wore a thick waist-coat over his shirt and checked to see if the reactor was showing, satisfied when it hid well enough. Jarvis wasn’t quite pleased to leave but he didn’t complain much as Tony set off towards his destination. It took him an entire day and a few quick stops before he could get to the outskirts of Mandarin’s Reserve. 

There was an air of warning doom when he entered the area, looking around at all the quiet surrounding them. Jarvis whinnied nervously and Tony reassured him gently, swallowing his own fear as he moved forward. It felt like a ghost town, the streets empty and spotless, no mess of life’s existence as they went towards the heart of the place. 

The Mandarin’s mansion resembled a palace in stature, imposing and cold in welcome. It reeked of darkness in a way that any star would be wary of, death greeting at its gates. Tony remembered Stane’s words and wondered if the previous star had been aware of what he was entering when he had gone in through these doors. Or if he had been alone and helpless, unaware of the end that lay ahead. 

Tony was aware that he himself was alone but the weight of the compass in his pocket reminded him of a promise. He wasn’t alone, not really. And he certainly wasn’t going to be helpless, he resolved as he stared at the front door with a cold determination in him. 

The door wasn’t locked and Tony pushed them open, pausing as they revealed the inside of an opulent abode. The marble floor was polished to a sheen and he could make out the silhouette of a dangling chandelier that formed a cascade from the ceiling. The lamps weren’t lit and the only light afforded was from the moonlight touching the entrance. 

“Hello, Anthony,” a voice called out and Tony frowned before he felt a chill of recognition run down his spine. No. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t -

“I knew you’d come,” the voice continued and Tony heard footsteps come closer from the shadows, “But I’m glad you proved me right anyway.”

A striking sound echoed  and Tony watched as a hand lit a candle, glow brighter with passing seconds. The outline of a figure emerged and Tony frowned as the figure came closer. 

“I did owe you a reply for what you cost me,” the figure said, finally coming into view, “After all, she  _ was _ my betrothed.”

“Killian,” Tony whispered, feeling the ground slipping from under his feet but Aldrich Killian simply smiled, his eyes glowing in the candlelight. 

“Or Mandarin,” he replied with ease, “whichever you prefer.”

When Tony fought to find words, Killian laughed and snapped his fingers, making the room light up, showing him clearer. He was older than he had been when Tony had first seen him but he looked different. Calmer. Colder. Or maybe Tony had never seen him properly. 

“You want to come in? It is so much better to talk when you’re inside,” Killian said and blew on the candle, shrugging when Tony looked at it, “I couldn’t resist a bit of suspense. It makes for a dramatic entry, I think.”

“Not much,” Tony replied on instinct and Killian chuckled as he turned around, gesturing Tony to follow him. 

“I bet you have a lot of questions. Come on, let me show you some answers,” he offered and Tony looked around but followed him inside, trying to make sense of everything. 

They passed empty corridors and climbed a flight of stairs before Killian opened the door to what Tony hoped would give him some answers. He catalogued the premise, noting the entries as he followed Killian and calculating the time it would take for the crew to get there if Steve had managed to contact them.

Knowing Steve, he would have. 

“This is where my magic happens,” Killian announced as he led Tony inside a bare hall that felt colder than below. On further inspection, Tony could make out people lying on upright beds, strapped to them and looking asleep. There were machines attached to their bodies and Tony made out the specifics. 

And then he noted the way a few of them were glowing, orange and red crawling over veins. 

“You’re creating energized people,” Tony said numbly, eyes roaming over the exhibits, “With the kind of power that - you’re -”

“Creating stars,” Killian completed for him and Tony looked at him, noting that the man’s neck had marks of a glowing orange too, “Not perfected yet, but yes. I’m creating energy that compares to yours. Heat and power carriers. I call it Extremis. Poetic, isn’t it?”

“They’ll die,” Tony replied, horror and bile growing in him but he kept calm as he faced the mad mad in front of him, “They aren’t built to hold that level of energy, Killian. Humans can’t handle it and survive.”

“Oh, I think you’ll find,” Killian smirked, eyes glowing orange and Tony watched as his entire being became enveloped with fire, “That we can.”

“Not for long,” Tony argued, buying time and trying to find a way around what he could see was the endgame, “Aldrich, this will destroy your body with every use and you won’t have the control that we do. It isn’t stable. This isn’t natural.”

“Natural?” Killian laughed, flames subsiding to his normal skin and even then Tony could see the way his skin had burnt up, regenerating painfully, “I’m not looking for natural, Anthony, I’m looking for power. Unlimited, unrestrained power.”

“How did you fool the witches and wizards?” Tony asked, diverting attention, “Mandarin is said to be a -”

“Old world warlock?” Killian rolled his eyes, “Yes, that’s an interesting story, isn’t it? Just like the rumour that the Mandarin is immortal. And a thousand other stories. Legends, Anthony, legends are such powerful tools. They spread faster than fact and all you need is to make them interesting. Add a bit of mystery. Create a faceless symbol for suspicion. Whispers grow louder when they are based on imagination. And everybody loves a good story, especially when it’s against a few vague rivals.”

Tony watched as Killian walked towards one of his subjects, a sleeping woman with short red hair. 

“The magical world isn’t very large,” Killian continued, gazing up at the woman before looking at Tony, “But it is powerful. What most people don’t realize though, is how much it depends on us powerless humans. Our fear, our sacrifices, our work - they wouldn’t survive without us. And still, they get the benefits while we die. It always bothered me, you know, how only those with magic or blue blood could eat a star’s heart. Everlasting life, freedom from pain, youth, all of it only for them. We could live and work and try but never get those, even if we helped them get the stars.”

Killian paused and Tony could see how this man had crafted the plan slowly, a creeping madness that had snapped over time. 

“I tried to learn then,” Aldrich continued, a faraway look on his face, “Who were these stars? What made their hearts so powerful? I was smart but I needed someone smarter. And I found one, my professor’s daughter - Maya Hansen. She was brilliant in ways that many didn’t understand and most men didn’t see beyond her beauty but I did. I saw her brains. And she saw my idea. Together we came up with the plan of Extremis.”

“Where is she?”

“Died,” Killian said, a bitter smile on his face as he turned towards Tony, “We were captured by a witch who found out about her creating Extremis. I couldn’t risk the idea going away, so I killed Maya for the witch to gain her approval and later killed the witch when she trusted me enough.”

“Did Pep - Virginia know?” Tony asked, a rising anger in him, “Did she know about you?”

“You mean your  _ Pepper _ ?” Killian mocked, shaking his head sadly, “Not at first but she was bound to a wizard when I first met her. You’d know him, Obadiah Stane.”

When Killian saw the expression on Tony’s face, he chuckled softly, a mad gleam in his eyes. 

“Yes, the same one, she was bound to him and he promised her ‘freedom’ in exchange for a few goods that were available only in the black markets,” Killian shrugged, making an innocent face, “She was a wonderful woman, really. So happy to be finally free. Until she realized that, well - I wasn’t that selfless.”

“You let her die,” Tony accused and Killian raised a brow.

“No, Anthony,  _ you _ did. I just let her go,” he said, taking a step towards Tony, “She was my first subject of Extremis and I let her go when she rebelled to save her precious star. You see, Anthony, she would still be alive if you hadn’t run. I know that she liked you, but my dear star, you didn’t really deserve her.”

“I never could,” Tony agreed even as he widened his stance and unbuttoned his waist-coat, aiming the glow of the reactor at Killian, “But I will make sure that you get what you deserve.”

“I wouldn’t do anything if I were you”

“Give me one reason why,” Tony dared him, glaring daggers but Killian simply smiled and said a single sentence.

“Because I’ve got your new friend Rhodey,” he dropped, “And it would be a shame to see him die of an overdose.”


	8. Chapter 8

When Tony was marched into the room that held a restrained Rhodey, the man stared at him and groaned. 

“Okay, for  _ once  _ I thought I was kidnapped for me, and again it’s for you?” he asked and looked over at Killian, “Seriously, what is  _ it _ with you wizards and your cuisine? You can’t eat normal food now? A star’s heart, a planet’s dick - what sort of nonsense.”

“Not a wizard,” Tony informed and shrugged as he walked in, “This one’s all yours. Human.”

“That makes it so much worse,” Rhodey made a face but Tony could see the way his attempt at humour was masking the quick check he was doing of Tony, “Your plans are not so smart, by the way.”

“It’s not my fault you can’t run,” Tony retorted, looking over his shoulder at Killian, “I let him have a Babylon candle and he still couldn’t run.”

“I’m glad you two are enjoying yourselves,” Killian said and pointed at the machines that were connected to Rhodey, “Colonel Rhodes is my latest subject for an advanced version of Extremis, Anthony. I didn’t expect to find him but he was quite easy to track when he sought help from one of my sources for his parents. A sleep spell is troublesome to remove but a healer is easy to bribe.”

“What do you want?” Tony asked, facing Killian and watching him look pleased.

“You, of course”

Five minutes later, Tony was strapped to a bed just like Rhodey’s and both of them looked at Killian.

“This,” Killian explained as he inserted a device over Tony’s reactor, “is my invention. Eating a star’s heart is grotesque, and honestly a waste of resource. Why would I take it for myself, when I can extract your energy enough to distribute?”

“You mean sell,” Tony corrected and Killian made a face but nodded.

“A lot of rich people out there, Anthony,” he agreed, checking the device over, “And a lot of people who would like a taste of everlasting life.”

“Take off these binds and I’ll show  _ you _ a taste of something stronger,” Rhodey challenged, muscles bunching in his arms. 

“The condition is simple, gentlemen,” Killian ignored Rhodey and stepped back, “Colonel Rhodes here will be spared from death as long as Anthony doesn’t stop glowing. We  _ do _ need a content heart’s extract, mind you. Your levels will be connected, which means that the minute Anthony gives me what I want, Rhodes here will be released alive.”

“You have to know that you can’t get away with this, Killian,” Tony called out, “I know Stane is out there looking for me.”

“Stane?” Killian asked and eyed Tony fondly, “Stane is dead, Anthony. The Mandarin doesn’t forgive those who try to take his things for themselves. Besides, he wasn’t worthy enough to be left alive. Don’t you feel avenged now?”

Tony let that sink in and watched the man leave them alone, walking out the door. 

“I don’t know which of us has the worse luck,” Rhodey said after a minute and Tony chuckled despite himself, “I had your bubbling candle and still got caught.”

“Babylon candle,” Tony corrected and shot him a look, “But yes, you definitely have the worse luck.”

“So”

“So?”

“What new crazy plan do we have now?” Rhodey asked and Tony sighed, resting his head against the bed.

“I don’t know, Rhodey,” he said and closed his eyes when he heard the machine whir to life, “But I sure hope my crew does.”

The first pull of energy made him grit his teeth and Tony could tell that Rhodey could see it. The other man kept ordering him to stop, to not let it continue, and a million other things but Tony couldn’t risk it. He knew that he had to stall till his team could arrive and focussed on keeping calm, enough to glow. Somewhere down a few pulls and passing of time, he felt himself begin to drain and Rhodey began getting louder in his anger, calling out Tony’s name to keep him awake, to keep him from killing himself. There was a second when Tony could see Steve’s face behind his eyes, warm and soft as he leaned in to kiss -

The explosion made both of them jerk and Tony’s eyes flew open as he heard a second explosion. 

“What the hell is  _ that _ ?” Rhodey asked, still struggling against his binds but Tony knew.

“The  _ Avenger _ ,” he said and used every bit of energy he had to keep talking, “Rhodes, the minute you’re free, you -”

“No, we’re not doing the running again,” Rhodey cut him short and clenched his jaw, eyes flicking down to Tony’s chest before meeting his stare fiercely, “This time, we fight. Running won’t work. Don’t even think about it.”

“ _ Rhodes _ -”

“Argue later,” a voice informed and both men turned to see an intruder sneak into the room, “First get out.”

“You’re late,” Tony informed and Natasha shot him a dry look but rushed to work on his binds, “Get Rhodey first, get -”

“On it,” a new voice called out and Tony saw Clint rush into the room, his bow and quiver strapped in, “Hey, Tony, nice vacation?”

“I could kiss you right now, oh my God, you asshole,” Tony laughed and Clint made a face but worked on Rhodey with deft hands.

“No thanks, buddy, I’m not interested in making Cap cry. Or kill me,” Clint replied, giving the machines a quick look, “Man, science is creepy.”

“So are all of you, now what’s the plan?” Rhodey asked as his arms got free and he helped Clint work on the binds around his legs, “Also, this guy needs help.”

“Doesn’t he always,” Natasha commented but Tony grinned as she carefully but quickly removed his binds and then paused at the device on his reactor, “Okay, give me a short guide. What do I do?”

Tony felt his energy drop but managed to give Natasha instructions and she proved herself to be the most efficient by catching on even when he missed things. Between them, they managed to get it off him and he sagged against her grip when she lowered him from his perch.

“You okay?” Natasha asked quietly and Tony nodded as he pushed himself upright, forcing his legs to obey his mind. 

“Always, now where are the others?”

“Steve’s with Thor -”

“ _ Thor _ ?” Tony asked Natasha, almost tripping over his feet as they rushed down the corridors.

“Who’s Thor?” Rhodey asked Clint who handed him a spare dagger.

“God of Thunder,” Tony told Rhodey and looked at Natasha, “Where did you get  _ Thor _ ? Who - where have you guys been?!”

“We didn’t go searching for him, he came searching for us,” Clint chipped in and Natasha caught Tony’s arm when he almost slowed down. 

“Apparently even gods feel guilty about knocking down people,” Natasha said dryly, shooting Tony a quick glance as they rounded towards the stairs, “He found out that he had knocked a star to Earth but wasn’t able to get to you till some Heimdall person told him that you were with us.”

“Only you weren’t, but he decided to help,” Clint added, “Long story short, the guy’s great and we’re keeping him.”

“We have got to stop adopting people,” Natasha sighed and Tony laughed hysterically at the familiarity of the banter, rushing into battle with the people he had come to call family. 

The battle, it turned out, was messier than he had imagined. Killian had apparently awakened  _ all _ of his test subjects and they were fighting against the crew. Clint broke off and went to help Peter who was using every weapon he could find against two fire-breathing people. Rhodey found his feet and charged into the fight the way only a soldier would. 

“Go,” Tony pushed at Natasha, knowing how much time she was wasting by guarding him, “I’ll be fine, go. Fight.”

“Get to Steve,” she called back and disappeared into the middle of the fight, taking on crazed humans with the ease of a pirate. 

Steve, as it turned out, was fighting alongside Thor who was fending off attacks with ease. Tony ran and grabbed a sword from the ground as he did, covering the distance with every ounce of his strength. 

“Duck!” he yelled and Steve obeyed without turning, just in time for Tony to slash at a regenerating man who was going to charge at the Captain. Steve twisted on his feet and Tony moved, his back covering Steve’s as they took familiar position. 

“Thor!” Tony called out as he fought, “They regenerate! Don’t use blunt force, use lightning!”

Steve shielded Tony from fire and pulled him down when he caught sight of a ball of flames hitting them.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked tersely and Tony nodded as he disentangled, twisting to fight again, “This isn’t the Mandarin.”

“I know,” Tony replied, jumping over a fallen man, “It’s Killian. He’s trying to replicate my power.”

“Any ideas?” Steve called out at the tail end of a grunt as he kicked off an opponent.

“One,” Tony answered, eyes calculating the situation around him, “I need you to get the crew to the ship.”

“What -”

“Trust me,” Tony insisted and Steve didn’t argue, running to follow the given command. Tony saw Thor at a distance and made his way to him. 

“Thor!”

“What is the plan, dear star?” Thor asked and Tony ducked as he sent his hammer over Tony’s head.

“I need you to burn it down”

“What?”

“Everything,” Tony said shortly and Thor shot him a look but nodded, “Alright, on my signal, bring your lightning. But wait for my signal.”

Tony waited till he saw the Extremis affected people grow and the crew run to safety, a few of them getting dragged off by the others. Scott was the last one to be dragged and Tony saw Steve start the ship, taking it high enough that nobody could get to it. 

“Anthony!” a voice yelled and Tony noted Killian walking towards him, half burnt and regenerating, “Running again? Is that all you know to do?”

“No, Killian,” Tony said and smiled sharply, letting his heart open, “I know more.”

The glow built up, the presence of the people he loved, those who came for him making his heart brighter and Tony watched as Killian frowned before the light became blinding. 

“Thor, now!”

The crackle of lightning was the only warning they got before the God of Thunder came crashing down, electricity spreading through the ground to burn everyone still standing even as Tony’s shine provided cover. The last thing he heard Killian yell was his name and Tony collapsed when they were done, his knees hitting the ground. 

There was ash and death everywhere, all around him, and Tony closed his eyes, feeling his energy drain. 

“Tony? Tony!” a voice called out from far and the last thing Tony thought was that he had finally stopped running, before darkness consumed him. 

When he came to consciousness, Tony felt a familiar softness under him. There was a scent of faint pine and the sounds of a table shaking. Focussing more, Tony realized that there was an arm around his waist and he was resting on somebody. 

“Hey” a fond and loved voice whispered and Tony found himself smiling even before he opened his eyes slowly.

“Did you hijack my bed, Rogers?”  he asked and would have winced at how hoarse he sounded but Steve shifted under him enough to tip his face up, raising a blond eyebrow at him.

“You sound like you’re complaining, Stark,” he replied but his eyes softened at Tony’s smile, leaning down to kiss his nose, “You’ve been asleep long enough. Any good dreams?”

“The best,” Tony whispered and kissed Steve when he bent lower, “But the reality looks better.”

Steve’s hand covered his heart and Tony breathed in a time when he was finally free, truly happy. His ticking heart was at ease and the star let himself shine.

He had no reason to hide.

**Author's Note:**

> I truly hope that you enjoyed this story and would love to hear your feedback in comments! Have a great day!


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